Graphic Organizer: English III: Module 1: Lesson 2: Section 2:Organizing a Speech Worksheet

Directions: The speech and questions about it appear below. Type your answers to the questions in the "Your Answers" column.

On October 8th, 1970, my grandfather, Isaac Abraham Warshovsky, age 87, died in his sleep in New York City. On the following Friday morning, his funeral was held. My mother and father attended. My two uncles from Brooklyn attended. And my aunt Minnie came up from Florida. Also present were 862 members of The Amalgamated Clothing Workers and the Cloth, Hat and Cap Makers Union of America—also members of his family.

In death, as in life, they stood at his side. They had fought battles with him, had bound the wounds of battle with him, had earned bread together and had broken it together. And when they spoke, they spoke in one voice and they were heard. And they were black and they were white and they were Irish and they were Polish and they were Catholic and they were Jews—and they were one. That’s what a union is—one.

Ladies and gentlemen, the textile industry in which you are spending your lives and your substance, and in which your children and their children will spend their lives and their substance, is the only industry in the whole length and breadth of these United States of America that is not unionized. Therefore, they are free to exploit you, to lie to you, to cheat you and to take away from you what is rightfully yours—your health, a decent wage, a fit place to work.

I would urge you to stop them by coming over to Room 31 at the Golden Cherry Motel and pick up a union card and sign it.

Yes, it comes from the Bible, according to the tribes of your fathers: “Ye shall inherit.” But it comes from Reuben Warshovsky: Not unless you make it happen.

Thank you.

How does Warshovsky get the audience’s attention in his introduction?

Which sentence gives the topic of the speech? What is the topic?

Is this sentence a thesis?

What is the main point of this paragraph?

What kind of transitions does he use?

What evidence does he provide?

What is the main point of this paragraph?

What is the purpose of his speech?

How does Warshovsky make his conclusion memorable?

Warshovsky Speech Questions Your Answers

Click to see sample answers.

Graphic Organizer: English III: Module 1: Lesson 2: Section 2:Organizing a Speech Worksheet: Answer Key

Warshovsky Speech Questions Your Answers

On October 8th, 1970, my grandfather, Isaac Abraham Warshovsky, age 87, died in his sleep in New York City. On the following Friday morning, his funeral was held. My mother and father attended. My two uncles from Brooklyn attended. And my aunt Minnie came up from Florida. Also present were 862 members of The Amalgamated Clothing Workers and the Cloth, Hat and Cap Makers Union of America—also members of his family.

In death, as in life, they stood at his side. They had fought battles with him, had bound the wounds of battle with him, had earned bread together and had broken it together. And when they spoke, they spoke in one voice and they were heard. And they were black and they were white and they were Irish and they were Polish and they were Catholic and they were Jews—and they were one. That’s what a union is—one.

Ladies and gentlemen, the textile industry in which you are spending your lives and your substance, and in which your children and their children will spend their lives and their substance, is the only industry in the whole length and breadth of these United States of America that is not unionized. Therefore, they are free to exploit you, to lie to you, to cheat you and to take away from you what is rightfully yours—your health, a decent wage, a fit place to work.

I would urge you to stop them by coming over to Room 31 at the Golden Cherry Motel and pick up a union card and sign it.

Yes, it comes from the Bible, according to the tribes of your fathers: “Ye shall inherit.” But it comes from Reuben Warshovsky: Not unless you make it happen.

Thank you.

How does Warshovsky get the audience’s attention in his introduction?

Which sentence gives the topic of the speech? What is the topic?

Is this sentence a thesis?

What is the main point of this paragraph?

What kind of transitions does he use?

What evidence does he provide?

What is the main point of this paragraph?

What is the purpose of his speech?

How does Warshovsky make his conclusion memorable?

He gives a personal example.

The last sentence—union members are like family.

Not really, but it narrows the topic to an implied reason why a worker would join a union.

He explains how union members are like family no matter their race or religion.

Like Giovanni, he uses repetition of key words.

He gives examples of how union members support one another.

The textile industry is not unionized, meaning that the workers suffer.

He wants to get the workers to create a union.

He alludes to the Bible and ends dramatically with the reminder that it’s up to the individual workers to make the union a reality.